Adjustable guard for fire-places



- (No Model.)

B. BETTS.

ADJUSTABLE GUARD'POR FIRE PLACES.

u, Pz'rzns. Mw-Uliwgmp'ur. Washington, D, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELISEIA BETTS, OF LOMBARDY GROVE, VIRGINIA.

ADJUSTABLE GUARD FOR FIRE-PLACES.

. SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 265,740, dated October 10, 1882.

Application filed March 25, 1882.

To all whom a may concern:

Be it known that I, ELISHA BETTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lombardy Grove, in the county of Mecklenburg and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Guards for Fire-Places; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in safety-guards for fire-places or chimneys; and the object is to prevent accidents to children, ladies dresses catching on fire, and setting fire to carpets, &c., in apartments of any kind.

Theinvention consists of an adjustable stand or support to be clamped to the jambs on each side of the fire-place, in which are arranged suitable pins or screws, upon which safety or guard rods are supported. These rods are made adjustable (so that they can be applied to different widths of fire-places) by any suitable means and manner, all of which will be more fully described in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of myimproved safety-guard in position on a fire-place. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line at .r of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a ,side elevation of the adjustable support. Fig.

4 is a cross-section on line y y of Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale. Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged views of ends of the safety-rods, showing adjustments. Fig. 7 is a modification of the same.

In the drawings, A represents the front of a fire-place, to the jambs on each side of which are clamped two stands or supports, B B. These are provided at their lower ends with feet I) b, and are clamped to the arch or upper side of the front of the fire-place by a clamp, c, which can be adjusted to suit the different thicknesses of walls by means of a slot, d, and thumb or set screw 6, while at the front side is arranged a small upward-projecting lug f, which fits against the face of the wall.

At the front side of the supports B B are arranged a proper number of pins, 9, or screws, upon which the guard-rods G are supported (No model.)

when in position. These rods 0 are made adjustable by any well-known means, of which two kinds are shown in Figs. 5 and 6, so as to be adjusted to any different wid th of fire-place. Many different devices would suggest themselves to an ordinary mechanic to accomplish this object; and I do not limit myself to any particular construction and arrangement.

If desired, and to prevent sparks from being thrown in a room or apartment and setting fire to carpets, &c., any suitably-constructed fender can be placed on the outside of the safety-rods, and made of wire-cloth, perforated sheet metal, or other suitable material. This fender may be hung on the safety or guard rods between the supports, or they may be extended at their ends and the fender applied to said ends in any desired manner.

If desired, the supports, as well as the rods, can be made highly ornamental. The guardrods may be made straight and provided with nuts or collars on their ends, and the supports may be provided with lugs-at right angles, of nearly so,having holes at their outer ends, through which the rods are inserted, and held in position by the nuts or collars, as shown in Fig. 7. In this instance they would not be made in two parts and clamped'or held together by collars or ferrules h. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 2.) The rods might also be made to conform to the exact width of the fire-place and be then provided with heads at their ends. The height of 'the supports is regulated by means of a sliding extension-piece, a, and a slot, a, into which a thumb'or set screw, t, fits, and by them is held to its proper height. One end of the rods may be provided with a hole, is, to fit onto the pins and the other with a hook, 1, so as to lift them off at one side, if it is desired to replenish the fire or to clean out the ashes or cinders from the hearth.

The great advantages of my improved safety-guard will be readily appreciated by all persons, and among some of them may be mentioned: that small children cannot get near the fire, and the accidents yearly occurring to them are thereby obviated; the dresses of ladies cannot take fire by being drawn toward and into the fire by the draft of the chimney; large sticks of burning wood cannot roll out into the room, and when the wire-screen fender is applied even sparks cannot be thrown on the carpet or other place about the rooms or apartments; there is no possibility of the guard getting out of order; it is very simple in construction; and it can be readily and easily applied to any width of fire-place, and can be furnished at'a very small cost.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination,in the safety-guard here- A in described, of the adjustable supports B B and means, as shown, for clamping them in position, with the adjustable guard-rods O and supporting-pins g, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. "In safety-guards for fire-places, the combination of adjustable supports B B with adjustable guard-rods G, substantially as shown, and for the purpose described.

3. In safety-guards for fire-places, the supports B 13, having extensions at for vertical adjustment, and the clamps c for lateral adjustment, arranged substantially as shown, and for the purpose specified.

4. In safety-guards forfire-places,the guardrods 0, with suitable means for adjustment, and provided with a hole at one end and a hook at the other, so as to be lifted off the supportingpin at one side, substantially as shown and specified.

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELISHA BETTS.

Witnesses:

LLOYD KELEHER, J. W. HAMILTON JOHNSON. 

